Manchester's Marquis Little To Play At BC As Linkebacker

MANCHESTER — — When Manchester quarterback Marquis Little ran, there often was an extra propulsion in his stride as tacklers approached. "I've always had a little fear of a dog chasing me from behind," he says. "I imagine that when I carry the ball; so I run a little faster."

Next season Little won't be the player being chased. He will be the one chasing the ball — as an outside linebacker at Boston College.

Little has ended his duty as quarterback, where he had passed for 831 yards and rushed for 609 for Manchester last season, to move to defense. "I like it better because instead of getting hit, I hit," he said.

He will sign a letter of intent with BC on Wednesday at Manchester High School.

"It always has been my dream to play Division I football," said Little, 6 feet 3 and 220 pounds. "I feel blessed."

His emergence as a linebacker isn't typical. That's because he never played defense until his senior season at Manchester.

Little followed the same route as quarterback Seth DeValve, whom Little had succeeded as Manchester's starter two years ago.

"Seth was a great free safety, and we didn't put him there until his senior year," Manchester coach Marco Pizzoferrato said. "The quarterback takes a pounding in our spread offense. There would be a lot on their plates to play quarterback and on defense as a sophomore or a junior."

"My plan was to highlight them on defense their senior year. I'm not here just to coach them in high school. I wanted to give them that opportunity, as seniors, to show what they can do for colleges."

Pizzoferrato said that Little probably was "a little green" on defense, but he countered that with his athleticism and talents.

That was seen in the opener against Hall-West Hartford. "A player caught the ball in the flat, and Marquis at first was a little out of position," Pizzoferrato said. "He pursued and stripped the ball. Quincy Thomas picked it up and scored for us."

In eight games (Little missed two because of a concussion), he finished with 72 tackles, eight sacks and two forced fumbles.

BC had seen Little's skills, 4.69 speed in the 40 and his competitiveness before at its camp last summer. He also attended camps at UConn, Temple, Maryland, UMass, Rutgers and Stony Brook.

Representatives of BC kept watching Little. In the second game against South Windsor, they stayed for just the first half.

They had seen enough.

Manchester's defense held South Windsor to 43 rushing yards in 29 attempts in a 38-7 victory. Little was a big deterrent.

"The next day [Sept. 22] BC called and offered me a scholarship," he said. "I was so excited."

Banter between teammate tight end Andrew Isaacs and Little began immediately. Isaacs, who'll sign with Maryland on Wednesday, will oppose BC's Little in a game in College Park, Md., in the fall.

"We're on the bus after the Conard game," Little said. "We had our phones on, and it's going back and forth between BC and Maryland. BC wins [20-17], and Andrew is like, 'Well, injuries,' and making all kinds of excuses.' I told him, 'A win is a win.'"

"We talk about the next BC-Maryland game. He says, 'I can't guard him.' And I come back that, 'My speed will win out.' We're always cracking jokes. We can do that. We've been family here at Manchester."

Little said the sense of family was a leading reason that he chose BC. "I felt wanted when I visited there, and everyone welcomed me," he said.

He had some concern in early December, though, when coach Frank Spaziani was fired and replaced by Steve Addazio.

"I didn't know if I still had a scholarship," Little said. "Once coach Addazio told me how he liked how I played and that the interest was there, I was so relieved. Coach has a lot of enthusiasm. His goal is to bring BC back to the top."

"Don came here and showed Marcus film of [linebacker] Moore at UConn in pass rush, defending against the pass and in the box against the run," Pizzoferrato said. "He thinks Marcus could fit that Sio mold for BC."

Little shakes his head at all of this. He remembers being 10 years old and a "chunky kid" when he first played football.

"And now I'm going to BC," he said. "Coach Addazio has a tradition of pushing players and making them better. That's what I want. I can't wait to start."